Estimates from a survey by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in October 1996, for the Injury Control Program of the Health Department of Western Australia, showed that over one quarter of Western Australian households (27.1 per cent or 181,100 households) had a smoke detector installed.

For WA, the majority (92.3 per cent or 167,200), of detectors were battery operated. Over one tenth (11.9 per cent or 21,500) of all smoke detectors had been recently installed. The most common location for smoke detectors was in a corridor/hallway, with 42.6 per cent (132,000) of all smoke detectors placed there.

Over a third (33.7 per cent or 162,900) of all households without a smoke detector installed reported that the main reason for not having a smoke detector was 'have not got around to it'.

Only 13.6 per cent (91,000) of households kept all their medicines in a child resistant or lockable cupboard, while 3.8 per cent (25,400) of households stored only some of their medicines in this way.

Over three-quarters of households (77.2 per cent or 515,400) did not keep any of their medicines in a child resistant or lockable cupboard, with the main reason given being 'there are no small children in the household'.

A child resistant or lockable cupboard was used by 12.5 per cent (83,300) of households to store all of their household chemicals, and by 6.1 per cent (40,400) of households to store some of their household chemicals.Over four-fifths of all households (81.1 per cent or 541,700) did not keep any of their household chemicals in a child resistant or lockable cupboard, with the main reason given being 'there are no small children in the household'.

There were 13.9 per cent (92,800) of households with support rails installed. Of these, almost one-third (31.8 per cent or 29,500) had received medical advice to install support rails.

Over half of all households (51.8 per cent or 345,900) had a thermostat installed with their hot water system, while 24.7 per cent (164,800) of households did not. A further 23.5 per cent (156,800) of households did not know whether a thermostat was installed.

Electric safety switches were installed in 39.0 per cent (260,100) of all households while 58.7 per cent (392,000) of households had no such device. A further 2.3 per cent (15,400) of households did not know whether an electrical safety switch was installed. Of those dwellings with an installed electric safety switch 47.7 per cent (124,100) had been installed prior to the present household moving in.

Details are in Home Safety Devices, Western Australia, Oct 1996 (cat. no. 4387.5) which is available from the WA ABS bookshop, 16th Floor, Exchange Plaza.

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